Okay, I give up! My current iron (which is the third or fourth one) is now dripping tiny drops of oil onto my fabric! I have NOT used it for starching, so that's not the explanation. I'm no longer using the same ironing board, because I made myself a pressing cabinet, which is basically a cabinet with shelves and cubbies, with a giant ironing board mounted on top. It's only a couple months old and isn't dirty at all. I haven't used it for steam ironing or starching, so it can't be the problem.
I'm truly at a loss, here. I can't keep buying irons every six months to avoid the oil-dripping issue! And it ruins my fabrics! I've been working on a special project and I found the PERFECT fabric in my stash, it's a pale gold satin, I only have half a yard, which is exactly the amount I need, and I can't buy more. But when I pressed it before cutting the pattern, it developed oil spots. I tried squirting water on one of the spots, then rubbing it gently, hoping to remove the stain, but it did nothing. I'm going to have to try cutting around the spots, but that's going to be challenging, if not outright impossible. And what happens if I get stains on the fabric when I press the seams while sewing? It could RUIN weeks of hard work.
Sorry, I'm just so frustrated. Truly at my wits' end. Has anyone come up with any other possibilities, or explanations, or fixes?